The Parties,
Recalling the general principles of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources,
as reflected in the World Conservation Strategy of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the United Nations Environment Programme,
and the World Wide Fund for Nature, and in the report of the World Commission on Environment
and Development,
Recognizing that small cetaceans are and should remain an integral part of marine
ecosystems,
Aware that the population of harbour porpoises of the Baltic Sea has drastically decreased,
Concerned about the status of small cetaceans in the Baltic and North Seas,
Recognizing that by-catches, habitat deterioration and disturbance may adversely affect
these populations,
Convinced that their vulnerable and largely unclear status merits immediate attention
in order to improve it and to gather information as a basis for sound decisions on
management and conservation,
Confident that activities for that purpose are best coordinated between the States
concerned in order to increase efficiency and avoid duplicate work,
Aware of the importance of maintaining maritime activities such as fishing,
Recalling that under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn 1979), Parties are encouraged to conclude agreements on wild animals which periodically
cross national jurisdictional boundaries,
Recalling also that under the provisions of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Berne 1979), all small cetaceans regularly present in the Baltic and North Seas
are listed in its Appendix II as strictly protected species, and
Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding on Small Cetaceans in the North Sea signed
by the Ministers present at the Third International Conference on the Protection of
the North Sea,
Have agreed as follows: